About

Image: L.J. Furner

Will enjoys a busy portfolio career in the wonderful world of Theatre.

As a Lighting Designer, recent work includes: Bury the Hatchet (Southwark Playhouse for Out of the Forest Theatre); Jekyll & Hyde (OVADA Gallery for Creation Theatre), The Nutcracker and Hansel & Grettel (The North Wall for Creation Theatre); The Brief Life and Mysterious Death of Boris III, King of Bulgaria (59E59 Theaters New York and UK tour including Mercury Theatre Colchester and The Lowry Manchester for Out of the Forest Theatre); Der Vampyr (Arcola Theatre for Gothic Opera); Gentlemen (Arcola Theatre for Richard Spier Productions); In Other Words (Arcola Theatre for TBC Productions); and ISOLATION (Untitled Entertainment at Streatham Space Project).

He’s continued to work with companies such as the Barbican, Oxford Playhouse, the Royal Opera House, Southbank Centre, Royal Ballet School, National Youth Theatre of Great Britain, in London’s West End and New York’s (Off) Broadway, on tour in the UK and internationally.

For full Credits and Schedule, visit this page

Two people standing together in a dark room, illuminated by blue moon-like spheres overhead, with a quote about loving Charlotte Ive and Will Alder's design.

Will’s work has been consistently wonderfully varied. He’s designed interactive experiences into air raid shelters, disused railway tunnels, museums, markets, galleries and hotels. He’s produced festivals; creating a live advent calendar taking place everywhere from putting a Santa’s Grotto in a police cell, to performing opera in a Sainsbury’s supermarket; he’s created outdoor experiences for thousands of people to experience taking place over ten days in a big top tent; and he’s overseen two large festivals taking place on a busy high street in East London - including one safely delivered during Storm Eunice. Originally from London, Will graduated from Aberystwyth University in 2012 with a first class degree in Drama and Theatre Studies. Whilst studying he was lucky enough to gain invaluable experience working at Soho Theatre, Aberystwyth Arts Centre and as Company Stage Manger for several tours to some of the biggest venues in Wales. This lead to him heading up several large scale projects, including a concert involving 500 performers at the Southbank Centre, multiple shows and tours for Oxford Playhouse, and for National Youth Theatre of Great Britain - overseeing some of their largest and most complex productions (both politically and logistically) for several years.

When the pandemic hit, Will turned his attentions to Applecart Arts, a small arts centre in East London. With an existing stock of broadcast quality cameras, Applecart was perfectly placed to live stream throughout the pandemic. So Will and two friends turned Applecart’s theatre into a live streaming studio, and broadcast shows, events, conferences and political debates to thousands of viewers all over the world. During this time, they also expanded and bettered the technical facilities in the building.

Towards the end of 2021, Will and the small Applecart team delivered three busy festivals back to back, each with budgets of over £100,000 each. During this time, Applecart began the move to a new home on the edge of Plashet Park - a Grade II listed former library and registry office. Into 2022 and with planning permission in place, Will led the charge of the conversion of this beautiful building into a cafe, exhibition space, studio and theatre. This was brutal and hard work, but with many skills learned along the way - and a beautiful result.

Reviews

  • "Lighting by Will Alder relies heavily on the use of stage spot-lights, with a rack of them shining outwards from the back of the stage. Predominantly white or pink, they mirror Lizzie’s stunning dress by costume designer Helen Stewart, while additional spotlights from above illuminate the characters at key moments in the show. Particularly impactful are the points where Lizzie swings the hatchet, leaving her perfectly silhouetted before being plunged into darkness. It is a simple but highly effective example of how lighting can create genuine stand-out moments of theatrical creativity."

    for Bury the Hatchet from All That Dazzles

  • "Will Alder’s lighting beautifully contributes to the storytelling: A diminishing box of light late in the play very much suggests a curtain coming down on Boris and his reign — no spoiler considering the title."

    for The Brief Life & Mysterious Death of Boris III, King of Bulgaria from Theater Mania

  • "The lighting caught my eye from the very beginning, but it only got better and better as the story progressed. The show beautifully weaves in folk music to aid with the storytelling, which is an element of the show I really enjoyed. From sudden blackouts to a beautiful mix of reds, blues, pinks and yellows, the lighting complemented both the story and the music well, creating a really immersive feel for the audience. There’s no denying that this production is incredibly visually and vocally enjoyable to watch."

    for Bury the Hatchet from Theatre Adventures

  • "Will Alder’s lighting design intelligently suggests each setting, which while not quite as minimalist as the other design elements, works brilliantly"

    for In Other Words from All That Dazzles

  • "Will Alder’s lighting design is excellent, signalling the shifts in time and perspective with precision and clarity but no fuss - just like the production itself"

    for In Other Words from Always Time for Theatre

  • "It is powerfully and imaginatively lit by Will Alder, with great washes of red and purple manifesting something both sumptuous and threatening"

    for Bluebeard’s Castle from Opera Wire

  • "Praise must also go to Will Alder for his lighting. In such a small venue there is limited scope, but what he does is so effective. The white washed walls of the stage allow for the scene to be changed very cleverly: the soft lighting of home turns suddenly to the bright harshness of the Iraq deserts, then into the tranquility of the therapist’s space. So good, it’s easy to forget how much thought has probably gone into it"

    for Gold Coast from Everything Theatre

  • "Will Alder’s lighting is precise and varied, picking out each character’s appearances all over the sprawling set, with atmosphere added by the haze emitted from a single unobtrusive smoke machine. The whole thing is constantly inventive and engaging – as also in the occasional gentle interaction with members of the audience."

    for Jekyll and Hyde from The Reviews Hub

  • "Will Alder's lighting masterfully frames the show, making for some striking visuals: from the bright lights and giddy excitement at the start of the party, by the end we are in near pitch black, the characters literally shadows of their earlier selves"

    for The Wild Party from Broadway World